The Eye is the Lamp of the Body

Luke 11:33-36 NKJV ³³ “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.
³⁴ The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.
³⁵ Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.
³⁶ If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”

Luke 11:33-36 AMPC ³³ No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or crypt or under a bushel measure, but on a lampstand, that those who are coming in may see the light.
³⁴ Your eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye (your conscience) is sound and fulfilling its office, your whole body is full of light; but when it is not sound and is not fulfilling its office, your body is full of darkness.
³⁵ Be careful, therefore, that the light that is in you is not darkness.
³⁶ If then your entire body is illuminated, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright [with light], as when a lamp with its bright rays gives you light.

Lamp, lit light, or an illuminator, either real or figurative

Luke 11:33-36 Passion ³³ “No one would think of lighting a lamp and then hiding it in the basement where no one would benefit. A lamp belongs on a lampstand, where all who enter may see its light.
³⁴ The eyes of your spirit allow revelation-light to enter into your being. When your heart is open the light floods in. When your heart is hard and closed, the light cannot penetrate and darkness takes its place.
³⁵ Open your heart and consider my words. Watch out that you do not mistake your opinions for revelation-light!
³⁶ If your spirit burns with light, fully illuminated with no trace of darkness, you will be a shining lamp, reflecting rays of truth by the way you live.”

The eye is usually thought of as something that receives light, not something that illuminates.  But notice the eye is not the illuminator of everything, but just your body.

I think the saying “The eyes are the windows of the soul” applies here.  A window illuminates the inside of a house because it lets light in. “Therefore, when your eye is (single, good, sound, simple, single focus, healthy, clear). your whole body is also full of light” Greek: haplous.  The word conveys the idea of being on a single focus, not complicated.  So if you have the concept of a window that is focused, like a lens, it will let in the light that it is pointing at (focused on).   So if it is focused on light, it will let in light, if it is focused on darkness, it will let in darkness.

“But when the eye is (bad, evil, sick, not sound, pernicious, no good, not healthy) Greek:  poneros , your body also is full of darkness.”

Titus 1:15 To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.

What are you focusing on, what is your worldview?  It encompasses your beliefs, the values that you have, and your morals and ethics.  It is the system by which you make your decisions.

Your worldview is the lens through which you see everything, and it will color what you see, like a filter.  It will cause you to see some things, and completely ignore others.

Most sin takes something which is good in its proper place, and perverts it, overextends it, or puts it in a context that it was never intended for.

The very first sin was in an improper response to wanting to be like God.

Sex is good in the context of a marriage between man and woman.

The desire to prosper, and having ambition to better yourself is good, but it can be perverted into stealing from others, or stepping on others to attain your goals.

Today’s cancel culture is an example.  Most human beings have a sense of justice built into them – they want to see wrongs righted.  But what you perceive as wrong, and how you think it should be righted, is very much influenced by your worldview.

Just about everybody would agree that racism is wrong.  Racism is judging a whole people group and attributing attributes to them (usually negative) solely based on their skin color and not on their individual character.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

— Martin Luther King —

The quote from Martin Luther King is the opposite of racism. But what we see is that those who want to be “anti-racist” are actually endorsing and practicing racism – just against another group (whites).  You don’t correct racism against blacks by being racist against whites. Any statement you make about all whites in general, if you make the same statement but substitute “blacks” for “whites” and it sounds racist, then making that statement about whites is racist also. You have become guilty of the very thing that you say that you oppose.  And what about Antifa, whose very name means they are against fascism – and yet they employ the very tactics of fascists.  They act just like Hitler’s Brown Shirts or Mussolini’s Black Shirts.

The Black Lives Matter organization. From their own website, and the statements of their leaders, they are full on Marxists and LGBTQ activists.  One of their stated goals is that they want to do away with the nuclear family. Even though multiple studies show that fatherlessness is probably the single most important contributor to the violence and lawlessness that exists in black communities. They are not really interested in helping blacks that much.  They are using the cause to promote their own agenda.

When you label every person in a group as oppressors from which your former oppressors came, regardless of the character or actions of the individual, you are not promoting justice.  You are just redirecting injustice.

In the effort to show their solidarity against slavery and racism, the cancel culture has gone way overboard – any and everything that they perceive had anything to do with slavery or racism in the past needs to be removed from our history.  Statues, products  (R.I.P. Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben) books, (Dr. Suess?  I mean, as Joe Biden would say, “C’mon, man!”).   It is coming from a very uneducated, or maybe a better word is mis-educated , perspective.  They removed a statue that was commissioned by freed slaves that depicted Lincoln freeing slaves.  The actual woman behind Aunt Jemima was a black entrepreneur.

Those that participate in cancel culture have an inner need to feel virtuous and righteous, that they are doing good (actually we all have that need), which their world view tells them they can achieve by righting wrongs through social justice.  The insidious thing about cancel culture is that it is never satisfied.  Those people never reach that place of righteousness inside.  So they are ever on the lookout for the next “offensive” thing they can cancel.  And it gets more and more ridiculous.

There is only one thing that can fulfill that inner need for righteousness – and that is by being born again and receiving the free gift of righteousness through Jesus Christ.

Another issue that comes from Martin Luther King’s quote: he doesn’t say “Don’t judge”, but that judgement should be based on the right thing – character, not skin color.

But many blacks (with the encouragement and acceptance of many whites) think that because of the color of their skin, they should not be judged by their individual character.  They should get a pass for their bad behavior, because they are members of an “oppressed group”.  That is black privilege.

The pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction.

I lean pretty far to the conservative side (if that wasn’t obvious already).  When I see some of the crazy things the left is saying, what they espouse to believe, I shake my head and say “are these people out of their minds? Do they have no common sense at all?”

Romans 1:18-25 ¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
¹⁹ because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
²¹ because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
²² Professing to be wise, they became fools,
²³ and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man–and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
²⁴ Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
²⁵ who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

The worldview being pushed by the left is Satanic in origin, make no mistake.

2 Timothy 2:23-26 ²³ But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.
²⁴ And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,
²⁵ in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,
²⁶ and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

Notice we are not to quarrel, yet we are to correct. What really matters is the attitude and reason in which you bring that correction. In humility it says. It should be because you want to help people, not just because you want to be right.

You can express your viewpoint and the reasons why. If it looks like the conversation is going to degrade into an argument, maybe you need to back away from the conversation.

The quickest way to turn a debate into an argument is to insult the person with the opposing viewpoint.  Actually, insulting the other person – calling them an idiot, or stupid, or whatever – is usually a sign that you cannot support your argument based on facts or merit, so you resort to attacking the other person.

Where has tolerance gone?

Loving someone doesn’t mean we have to agree with them or their worldview.

“Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.”

— Pastor Rick Warren —

This is of course the opposite attitude as the cancel culture. If you don’t agree with them, they will cancel you. The attitude is that if you disagree with someone’s viewpoint, you are attacking them.  Of course, that does not stop them from doing the same to others.

The quote from Rick Warren is how tolerance is expressed – disagreeing with someone, but still treating them with respect and counting them as valuable.

The radical left, when their views were in the minority, always pushed for “tolerance”.  But once their viewpoints gained enough acceptance, when the tide of opinion leaned towards their favor, they changed their tactics and want to squash anything that opposes. You’ll note that they no longer encourage people to be “tolerant” any more, because they have totally abandoned any pretense of being tolerant on their own.

That is the pattern of those with totalitarian mindsets. Their primary motivation is to gain and retain power. They will use causes that sound good in order to reel people in to their side, but once they have power they will first enact laws to make sure they never lose it. The elites in power say they do things for the good of the average person, but their policies don’t really bring lasting benefit.  They use people.

Sounds like these days, doesn’t it?

Christian Love

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 AMPC ⁴ Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.
⁵ It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
⁶ It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
⁷ Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

This famous passage on love teaches us how we should treat individuals. We are to love people.

But I want to take a look at verse 6: love does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.

The way many Christians apply this verse is to ignore injustice and untruth – judge not, lest ye be judged!

There are different uses of the word judgement. One is to make an assessment, and then base a decision on it, as in using good judgement.

Another is to form an opinion of something or somebody, after consideration.

A third, is to pass judgement or condemn.

As Christians, we are to judge or discern between good and evil. The ability to do so is a mark of maturity (Hebrews 5:14).  We can judge whether a certain behavior in ourselves or others is good or bad, but we should never pass judgment or condemn..

It is right to speak up against evil and injustice in society. I’ve already said that most of what passes as “social justice” these days is redirected injustice.

It is right to speak against abortion.

It is right to take a stand against human trafficking, which is modern day slavery.

It is right to say God’s plan was He made them male and female, and that is what a marriage should consist of – without condemning those that go against that plan.

It is right to speak against corruption in our government.

Hate Evil

Psalms 97:10 You who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.

Romans 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

So what is “evil”?  My belief on what separates something or someone that is evil as opposed to just bad or sinful, has to do with motivation, and treatment of others.

Notice hypocrisy is mentioned in this context.  Now there is a certain type of hypocrisy which is not living up to a standard you espouse – not practicing what you preach – which is not evil.  But deliberately misleading others to get them to support you when your real motivations are something else entirely – i.e., you are lying – that is evil.

We could imagine a “goodness” scale:  on one end we have what the world would agree are “saints” – people that have totally devoted themselves to helping others. Mother Teresa.

On the other end would be the “devils” – people totally motivated by selfishness, that harm others to gain their own ends, full of deceit, treachery, and betrayal.

The exact middle of the scale would be someone that does no harm to others, but they don’t do any good for others either.

It’s not a bad visual.  The fallacy that people fall into is believing that as long as there are on the “good” half of the scale – i.e., they do more good for others than harm – that they should make it into heaven.

The truth is, God has allocated us all to the “devil” side, but with a purpose – that He might offer to all the cure, without regard to what good or bad they have done in their lives.

Romans 11:32 ³²  For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.

Some people get upset at the idea that He would let someone that was bad all their life into heaven, but answered an altar call, but not them, who have been a basically good person all their life. They don’t think it is “fair”.  My mother was like that. Thank God she accepted Jesus as Savior before she passed.

Jesus told a parable against that type of thinking in Matthew 20:1-16, where a landowner hires laborers at different times of the day, right up to 1 hour before quitting – and pays them all the same.